Spray nozzles used for dispersing fluids are well known. In agricultural applications, nozzles that can evenly disperse a liquid agent (fertilizer, insecticide, water, etc) are especially useful. The accuracy and consistency of nozzle spray patterns are important in modern systems due to advances in the agricultural sciences. For example, satellite surveys of fields can be used to direct GPS located vehicles for the accurate dispersion of agents on a crop, the dispersion pattern based on an analysis of the satellite survey. Given the precise distribution required by such a system, a nozzle that can accurately and consistently deliver an agent over a given area is highly desirable.
Flow through nozzles is typically quite turbulent. In the case of a liquid being discharged into the atmosphere, two-phase fluid interface conditions also exist. As a result, accurate modeling of nozzle performance by analytical means is highly complex, and may not feasible. Therefore, optimization of nozzle performance generally requires testing various geometries by trial and error. In such testing, seemingly innocuous changes to geometry can make a significant difference in nozzle performance.
There is a need for a spray nozzle with superior dispersion characteristics. Especially desirable is a nozzle that can evenly distribute a fluid over the nozzle's spray area. The present invention fulfills these and other needs, and provides several advantages over prior spray nozzle systems.
Furthermore, in addition to being able to disburse fluid evenly along a wide swath, it is highly desirable to do this without using a boom or an arm which extended outwardly and had a plurality of nozzles spaced along the boom. Such “boomless” sprayers are advantageous because they allow the user (usually on a vehicle like a small truck or ATV, to spray far from the operator and not be bound by the interference of an extending boom.
In my U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,108,204 and 7,487,924, I invented a highly effective solution to this boomless challenge. In such this boomless spray configuration, the typical boom height was 2 or 5 feet (0.5-2 meters) from the nozzle to the ground. In certain configurations it is critical to get as low as 12 inches (30 cm) to the ground yet the sideway “throw” of the nozzle. Such low clearance boomless spaying has heretofore been impossible without losing lateral range (3-5 meters) or maintaining an even flow across the entire length of the throw. The present invention addresses these problems.